Effiziente Zwischenfrüchte zur Rekultivierung landwirtschaftlicher Flächen beim Bau einer 380 KV Höchstspannungs-Erdkabelleitung in der westfälischen Tieflandsbucht

In der westfälischen Tieflandsbucht wurden zwei parallele Kabelgräben mit je 5,5 m Sohlbreite errichtet, die 4 Gigawatt Stromleistung übertragen. Das Bauverfahren der Erdkabeltrasse verursacht eine enorme Störung des Bodens aller physikalischen, chemischen und biologischen Bodenkennwerte. Der Naturraum, indem die 3,5 km lange Erdkabelleitung verläuft, wird intensiv, landwirtschaftlich genutzt und zeichnet sich bodenkundlich durch eine ausgeprägte Heterogenität aus. Mithilfe eines speziellen Konzeptes sollen die Böden über der Kabeltrasse rekultiviert an die Landwirte übergeben werden. Zur Überprüfung der Rekultivierungsleistung unterschiedlicher Zwischenfruchtkulturen sowie deren Mischungen wurden Parzellen auf einem Teilstück der Kabeltrasse in einem Langzeitversuch angelegt. Erste Versuchsergebnisse zeigen eine Differenzierung der verschiedenen Kulturen/Mischungen in Hinblick auf das Rekultivierungspotential

Stopping Hydrogen Migration in its Tracks: The First Successful Synthesis of Group Ten Scorpionate Complexes Based on Azaindole Scaffolds

The first successful synthesis and characterization of group 10 complexes featuring flexible scorpionate ligands based on 7-azaindole heterocycles are reported herein. Addition of 2 equiv of either K­[HB­(azaindolyl)3] or Li­[HB­(Me)­(azaindolyl)2] to [M­(μ-Cl)­(η,1η2-COEOMe)]2 leads to the formation of 2 equiv of the complexes [M­{κ3-N,N,H-HB­(azaindolyl)3}­(η,1η2-COEOMe)] and [M­{κ3-N,N,H-HB­(Me)­(azaindolyl)2}­(η,1η2-COEOMe)] (where M = Pt, Pd; COEOMe = 8-methoxycyclooct-4-en-1-ide), respectively. In these reactions, the borohydride group is directed toward the metal center forming square based pyramidal complexes. In contrast to analogous complexes featuring other flexible scorpionate ligands, no hydrogen migration from boron is observed in the complexes studied. The fortuitous line widths observed in some of the 11B NMR spectra allow for a closer inspection of the B–H···metal unit in scorpionate complexes than has previously been possible

SEROPREVALANCE OF TOXOPLASMIC CHORIORETINITIS IN BAGHDAD PROVINCE

ABSTRACT The study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of toxoplasmic chorioretinitis in Baghdad province. Samples of serum belonged to 102 patients (40 males and 62 females) of different age with ocular lesions were collected during the period between October 2010 and May2012 from different areas of Baghdad province. ELISA test was performed to demonstrate the rates of antitoxo IgG and IgM antibodies, using vercill kit. The results revealed that that the infected percentage was 42(41.17%),forty out of them (95.23%) had positive anti toxo IgG antibodies and only2 (4.76%)had positive anti IgM antibodies. Significant differences were recorded regarding the gender. The positive cases were 15 (35.71%) out of 42 positive cases of males, whereas the cases in women were 27 (43%). All the males had positive anti toxoIgG antibodies, while in case of females, 25(62.5%) had positive anti toxoIgG antibodies and 2case (100%) had positive IgM at age over 35 years old. The results display that 17(70.58 %) women were aborted and 10 (37.03%) non aborted. Most women are employed19 (70.37 %) the rest 8 (28.62%) are housewives. The rate of abortion was higher within an employed women 12(70.58%) compared to housewives 5(29.41%).Women in urban and rural areas were vulnerable to infection. Abortion may due to recent exposure to infection or due to reactivation past infection. The effect of age on infection rate was not significant. All age groups in either children or adults showing rates of infection with toxoplasmic chorioretinitis (100%). Regarding the type of infection, results obtained that the lesion of chorioretinitis due Toxoplasma gondii in one eye 30 (71.42 %) differed significantly compared to both eyes12 (28.57 %)

A 6 part action plan to transform food systems under climate change, Creative actions to accelerate progress towards the SDGs

If we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to poverty, climate change and food and nutrition security, the agricultural development community (research institutions, private sector, farmer organizations, national and international agencies) will have to work collectively with the world’s 700 million small-scale farmers by 2030 to transform the way food is produced, processed and consumed. Never before have we faced such ambitious goals

A 6 part action plan to transform food systems under climate change, Creative actions to accelerate progress towards the SDGs

If we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to poverty, climate change and food and nutrition security, the agricultural development community (research institutions, private sector, farmer organizations, national and international agencies) will have to work collectively with the world’s 700 million small-scale farmers by 2030 to transform the way food is produced, processed and consumed. Never before have we faced such ambitious goals

‘Triple wins’ or ‘triple faults’? Analysing the equity implications of policy discourses on climate-smart agriculture (CSA)

This paper analyses contrasting discourses of ‘climate-smart agriculture’ (CSA) for their implications on control over and access to changing resources in agriculture. One of the principal areas of contestation around CSA relates to equity, including who wins and who loses, who is able to participate, and whose knowledge and perspectives count in the process. Yet to date, the equity implications of CSA remain an under-researched area. We apply an equity framework centred on procedure, distribution and recognition, to four different discourses. Depending on which discourses are mobilised, the analysis helps to illuminate: (1) how CSA may transfer the burden of responsibility for climate change mitigation to marginalised producers and resource managers (distributive equity); (2) how CSA discourses generally fail to confront entrenched power relations that may constrain or block the emergence of more ‘pro-poor’ forms of agricultural development, adaptation to climate change, or carbon sequestration and storage (procedural equity); (3) how CSA discourses can have tangible implications for the bargaining power of the poorest and most vulnerable groups (recognition). The paper contributes to work showing the need for deeper acknowledgement of the political nature of the transformations necessary to address the challenges caused by a changing climate for the agricultural sector

Recent cadmium exposure among male partners may affect oocyte fertilization during in vitro fertilization (IVF)

We recently reported evidence suggesting associations between urine cadmium concentrations, reflecting long-term exposure, measured in 25 female patients (relative risk = 1.41, P = 0.412) and 15 of their male partners (relative risk = 0.19, P = 0.097) and oocyte fertilization in vitro. Blood cadmium concentrations reflect more recent exposure. We here incorporate those measures into our prior data set and employ multivariable log-binomial regression models to generate hypotheses concerning the relative effects of long-term and recent cadmium exposure on oocyte fertilization in vitro. No association is indicated for blood cadmium from women and oocyte fertilization, adjusted for urine cadmium and creatinine, blood lead and mercury, age, race/ethnicity and cigarette smoking (relative risk = 0.88, P = 0.828). However, we suggest an inverse adjusted association between blood cadmium from men and oocyte fertilization (relative risk = 0.66, P = 0.143). These results suggest that consideration of long-term and recent exposures are both important for assessing the effect of partner cadmium levels on oocyte fertilization in vitro

PolyADP-Ribosylation Is Required for Pronuclear Fusion during Postfertilization in Mice

BACKGROUND: During fertilization, pronuclear envelope breakdown (PNEB) is followed by the mingling of male and female genomes. Dynamic chromatin and protein rearrangements require posttranslational modification (PTM) for the postfertilization development. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity (PARylation) by either PJ-34 or 5-AIQ resulted in developmental arrest of fertilized embryos at the PNEB. PARylation inhibition affects spindle bundle formation and phosphorylation of Erk molecules of metaphase II (MII) unfertilized oocytes. We found a frequent appearance of multiple pronuclei (PN) in the PARylation-inhibited embryos, suggesting defective polymerization of tubulins. Attenuated phosphorylation of lamin A/C by PARylation was detected in the PARylation-inhibited embryos at PNEB. This was associated with sustained localization of heterodomain protein 1 (HP1) at the PN of the one-cell embryos arrested by PARylation inhibition. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings indicate that PARylation is required for pronuclear fusion during postfertilization processes. These data further suggest that PARylation regulates protein dynamics essential for the beginning of mouse zygotic development. PARylation and its involving signal-pathways may represent potential targets as contraceptives

Neuronal Profilin Isoforms Are Addressed by Different Signalling Pathways

Profilins are prominent regulators of actin dynamics. While most mammalian cells express only one profilin, two isoforms, PFN1 and PFN2a are present in the CNS. To challenge the hypothesis that the expression of two profilin isoforms is linked to the complex shape of neurons and to the activity-dependent structural plasticity, we analysed how PFN1 and PFN2a respond to changes of neuronal activity. Simultaneous labelling of rodent embryonic neurons with isoform-specific monoclonal antibodies revealed both isoforms in the same synapse. Immunoelectron microscopy on brain sections demonstrated both profilins in synapses of the mature rodent cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum. Both isoforms were significantly more abundant in postsynaptic than in presynaptic structures. Immunofluorescence showed PFN2a associated with gephyrin clusters of the postsynaptic active zone in inhibitory synapses of embryonic neurons. When cultures were stimulated in order to change their activity level, active synapses that were identified by the uptake of synaptotagmin antibodies, displayed significantly higher amounts of both isoforms than non-stimulated controls. Specific inhibition of NMDA receptors by the antagonist APV in cultured rat hippocampal neurons resulted in a decrease of PFN2a but left PFN1 unaffected. Stimulation by the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), on the other hand, led to a significant increase in both synaptic PFN1 and PFN2a. Analogous results were obtained for neuronal nuclei: both isoforms were localized in the same nucleus, and their levels rose significantly in response to KCl stimulation, whereas BDNF caused here a higher increase in PFN1 than in PFN2a. Our results strongly support the notion of an isoform specific role for profilins as regulators of actin dynamics in different signalling pathways, in excitatory as well as in inhibitory synapses. Furthermore, they suggest a functional role for both profilins in neuronal nuclei